It began when I was two (or so I like to imagine), this obsession with stories. They were read to me until I could begin reading them myself, and then writing them myself, and then envisioning whole worlds and characters with a bit of light, make-up, and magic. "Show, don't tell" was one of those dried-up, antagonistic adages that shriveled up as hard as a bean in my mind, took root, then spread infectiously.

Originally a small-town Texan gal, I made it to the big city (Seattle is "big city" to us small-town gals) on nothing more than my ambition and desire to make the world an easier place to read. Having run the gamut of the publishing world, I found myself in a role that again allowed me to be involved in the art aspect of it all, which reignited that creative spark I'd had since childhood.

Now I look for stories wherever the world presents them, and I find myself lucky each time I discover a new one and am able to share it with friends, family, and many whom I've never met but might chance across some day.

So ... What's your story?